Electric fiee and water alarm



(No Model.)

G. S. NEU. ELECTRIC FIRE AND WATER ALARM.

No. 539,234. Patented May 14, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE S. NEU, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC FIRE AND WATER ALARM.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,234, dated May 14,1895.

Application filed January 25, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE S. NEU, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an ElectricFire and Tater Alarm, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to a novel electric tire and water alarm inconnection with an automatic sprinkler and has for its object to producean alarm which indicates electrically the start of a fire and reportsalso the start of the automatic sprinkler or any possibly occurring leakor deficiency in the same even when only a small quantity of water willrun out.

Heretofore devices have been used which indicate the start of a fire atthe same time the automatic sprinkler commenced to operate but neitherthe outflow of the water nor any leak or defect in the sprinkler wasreported by such apparatus. I have now succeeded in producing a plainand very reliable device which reports the start of a fire as well asthe start of the automatic sprinkler and any leak or other deficiency inthe same. Thus one plain apparatus contains in combination devices whichare released by heat and by water.

My novel electric fire and water alarm consists substantially of a tubeshaped holder containing the devices which are released by heat andwater, an automatic sprinkler, an alarm bell, an electric battery andthe electrical connections.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the wholeapparatus and shows the electrical connections in diagram. Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section of the device to be released by heat and water.Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of this device when released bywater. Fig. 4 shows the same when released by fire, and Fig. 5 shows amodified form of plunger or piston with fuse.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The automatic sprinkler A, Fig. 1, may be of any known construction andis connected to the water pipe P in the usual manner. Be-

tween the downward portion of the water pipe erial No. 536.236. (Nomodel.)

and the automatic sprinkler is located the insulated support B whichcarries the tube shaped holder D. The support B is provided on one sidewith a binding post O and on the other with a downward extension I)which forms a circular fiange wherein the tube shaped holder D isfastened by means of screw threads. Thus the holder D is permanentlyfixed to the support B. The holder D is made of metal, preferably ofbrass or iron and is provided near the automatic sprinkler with asoluble button E at the end of which is seen the end of the fuse F. Onthe other side the tube shaped holder is screwed on an insulating pieceG of hard rubber or the like.

In the insulating piece G fits opposite the holder a screw S which isprovided with two washers wherein the connecting wire N is fastened.This wire connects with an alarm bell H and further with the battery I.From the battery a wire leads to the binding post C but the device mayalso be grounded in the usual manner and then the support B is notinsulated from the water pipe.

The construction of the device which is released by heat and water isshown in Fig. 2. The tube shaped holder D is threaded outside on bothends. By means of one thread it is permanently fixed in the flange ofthe lower portion 1) of the support 13. On the other side the insulatingpiece G is screwed thereon so that the holder D reaches in aboutone-third. The screw S fits on this insulating piece opposite the holderreaching in about one-third; so that one-third of the space is empty.The holder D contains a wire spring K and the plunger L. The latter fitsloosely the holder and is turned down in the rear so as to fit withinthe wire spring. The plunger is hollow and in the opening rests the fuseF which is made of a low melting alloy. At the rear end and outside ofthe holder D the fuse is surrounded by a soluble button E. The spring iscompressed and is held in the compressed condition by the fuse F whichforms knots on either end. In this way the current is interrupted by theinsulating piece G and the empty space within the same. If now the fusemelts by heat or the soluble button is destroyed by water then thespring inside the holder pushes the plunger forward until it touches thescrew S thus making electrical connection and setting the alarm bell inaction.

Fig. 3 illustrates the device when released by water. The soluble buttonhas dropped off and the spring has pushed the plunger toward the screw Sthus making metallic contact with it and completing the circuit.

Fig. 4. shows the device as released by fire. The fuse has been meltedby heat. At the same time the fuse in the automatic sprinkler has beenmelted and the outflowing water has destroyed the soluble button. Thespring has pushed the plunger forward so that it is in contact with thescrew S whereby the circuit is closed.

A modified form of plunger is illustrated in Fig. 5 which is verysubstantial since it avoids the long wire shaped fuse and only a smallknob of low fusing solder forming a fuse. The plunger is solid. Thefront portion Z fits loosely into the tube shaped holder D. The middleportion Z is turned down so as to go inside the wire springK and therear portion Z is decreased in diameter so as to pass through thesoluble button E. A washer m is provided at the end of Z The washer andthe rear portion of Z are soldered together by a low fusing solder. Thesolder forms a little knob n which fuses by heat. The rear portion Z ofthe plungeris surrounded by the soluble button E.

The soluble button E is made of compositions which contain chieflywater-soluble salts so that it drops off when water comes in contactwith it. The salts are employed in combination with water-solubleglutinous substances, for instance, aqueous solutions of gum tragacanth,gum arabic, glue, starch or the like. The glutinous substance acts as abinder and surrounds the particles of salt so that the button is notdestroyed by atmospheric moisture. Any salt'which is soluble in watermay be employed, but those are preferably used which are nothygroscopic. The chlorides, nitrates, or alkali carbonates for instanceare employed. The button may further contain insoluble substances suchas plaster of paris, clay or the like for the purpose of enablingcompression. All these substances are inactive and merely give body tothe mass. The button is prepared as follows: the salts are firstpowdered and then mixed with the substances which give the mass body.Then the dry powder is stirred into the glutinous solution until a verythick paste is obtained which is capable of compression.

The mass is then shaped in suitable molds and provided with an openingwhen they will be ready for mounting.

As is. illustrated in Fig. 2 the plunger is held back by the fuse andthe soluble button and the device is mounted close under the water pipeas is illustrated in Fig. 1 so that any water flowing out of the pipemust strike it. Thus I have produced an apparatus containing very plainand effective devices which are released by heat and by water.

Having now described my invention, what I claim therein as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. An electric fire and wateralarm consisting of a device to be released by heat and water andprovided with a spring actuated plunger, a soluble button, a fuse, andelectrical contacts kept normally apart by the soluble button and thefuse; an automatic sprinkler, an alarm bell and an electrical battery,substantially as described.

2. In an electric fire and water alarm a device to be released by heatand water which consists of a holder containing a spring actuatedplunger, a soluble button behind the holder, a fuse of a low meltingalloy, an insulating piece, in the front of the holder, a metallic screwin the insulating piece and opposite the holder to which is attached aconnecting wire, the plunger and the screw forming electric contactsbeing normally kept apart by the fuse and the soluble button,substantially as specified.

3. In an electrical fire and water alarm a device to be released by heatand water composed of a spring actuated plunger, a soluble button, afuse and electrical contacts kept normally apart by the soluble buttonand the fuse in combination with an automatic sprin kler, as specified.

4. In an electrical fire and water alarm a device to be released by heatand water composed of aspring actuated plunger, a soluble button, a fuseand electrical contacts kept normally apart by the soluble button andthe fuse in combination with an automatic sprinkler, an alarm bell andan electrical battery, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 21st day of January, A. D. 1895.

GUSTAVE S. NEU.

